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Megan Cummins Dives Into The Shark Tank

Filed Under: Personal Ramblings

It has been a while since we’ve done a Soap Queen interview and this is one you don’t want to miss! It’s with the super sparky founder of You Smell Soap, Megan Cummins. Her packaging, design and soap concept is strong for but that’s second to her drive and desire to start up her soap business. Megan and her You Smell soaps were also featured on a popular and cut throat show, Shark Tank. Could you imagine the pressure? Check out Megan’s Shark Tank Episode on Hulu (for free). Megan has developed 3 signature fragrances for her website: Lemon Verbena, Sweet Seduction (bright, fruity with rich undertones of caramel and vanilla) and Divine (fresh and clean). Make sure to check out Megan’s website, You Smell, which just launched in the beginning of February. We’re also fans of her blog that is centered around unique design, Vintage Me Oh My. Enjoy the interview…you’re in for some inspiration!

Megan Cummins [Read more…]

Curling: It’s Harder Than It Looks

Filed Under: Personal Ramblings

photo

I recently went curling. For those of you not in the “know”, it’s an Olympic sport that involves sliding a heavy rock thing to an end zone and scoring points by getting into progressively smaller, more precise areas. It’s sort of like shuffleboard on ice. It involves more abdominal work than you would expect. It also is a strangely cardiovascular activity when you have the “broom” and you’re “sweeping” (pressing down hard and sweeping in front of the rock to help smooth the way for a straight shot). [Read more…]

Valentine Soap Wraps

Filed Under: Tips & Tricks

EEEP! Valentines day is next week. I have a good excuse for forgetting and that reason just learned to crawl like a big boy – no more army crawling for him. But I digress … If you’re still wondering how to wrap up your valentine soaps, I’ve got an easy (and free) last minute idea for you. This sweet packaging involves printing, folding, whole punching and ribbon tying – easy peasy lemon squeezy! We’ve designed a FREE Valentine Wrap to fit our cube molds perfectly whether you’re making melt and pour or cold process soap. I’ve been having a little too much fun with the cube mold  that’s developed into a full-blown obsession (I’m sure you daily readers have noticed- sorry ’bout that. I’ll try to branch out. I swear!).  If you make melt and pour soap, try the Faux Swirl melt and pour recipe we posted last week! If cold process is more your style, try our Valentine themed soap with embedded hearts. Also check out Holiday Cube Soaps and Crazy for Cubes posts.

Get your FREE Valentine Soap Wraps!

Folding Instructions

1)            Print the free downloadable template out on card stock.

2)            Cut out a band (there are 2 per sheet). Place soap in center of band and fold wrap over soap, making 4 “soft” folds.

3)            Remove soap and crease folds. Replace soap on band between bottom creases.

4)            Line up vertical tops, fold over both ways, creasing top folds.

5)            Next, fold top ends over to form the flap, punch one hole in the center.

6)            Cut ribbon 7” long, fold in half and feed through punched hole, ends going through front to back to make a little lariat. Feed ends through loop and tighten.

To get the pretty pink color above, use 2 drops of the new Non-bleeding Cherry Colorant in a rubbing alcohol slurry. Then mix in the colorant in 18 ounces of white soap base . If you have any other ideas on how to use the heart wrap, we want to see it! Show us on the Bramble Berry Facebook page.  Happy Valentine’s Day!

Official Press Release for SWI 2012

Filed Under: Bramble Berry News

Soap Weekend Intensive 2012: Who will be there?

Kat's SwirlsThis is the fabulous Kat from Otion teaching her famous swirling class.

Wednesday January 8th, 2012

Local soap supply company will be hosting their 4th annual weekend of soapmaking lead by Anne-Marie Faiola, CEO of Bramble Berry Soapmaking Supplies. The exclusive class hosts aspiring soapmakers from all over the world, teaching students everything soapmaking from the basics to advanced techniques.

Successful artists and leaders in the soapmaking industry are also flown in to make special guest appearances. This year’s “soap’lebrities” include Debby Chialtas of Soapylove, Erin Pikor of Naiad Soap Arts along with local soapmaking artisans Anne-Marie Faiola and Kat Hackney, manager of Otion the Soap Bar in downtown Bellingham.

Faiola explains the event in a giddy manner. “It’s going to be a beautiful and jam-packed weekend full of soapmaking, creativity, laughs and cupcakes. We always end the busy weekend with a cupcake social. I think everyone always has a great time, including the Bramble Berry staff.”

This year’s projects will include: advanced melt & pour with Debbie Chialtas including cupcake soap and splattered paint soap. Four different scrubs with Erin Pikor. Learn 2 swirl techniques in cold process soap with Kat. Make lotion with Jill Heuser from Northwest Scents. And learn to infuse herbs and spices in cold process soap with Anne-Marie.

“I’m so excited about the teachers flying up this year. Our students are getting this unique opportunity to learn from the best in the industry. And I’m always thrilled to teach a class full of interested and dedicated students.” says Faiola.

The weekend of intense soapmaking is June 15th-17th, 2012 in Bellingham, WA. Learn more about Soap Weekend Intensive 2012 at www.brambleberry.com and read some fun blog posts of SWI past at www.soapqueen.com. See SWI blog posts from the past SWI 2008, SWI 2009, SWI 2010 and SWI 2011)

Purchase your ticket here while spots are still available.

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IMG_7883Kristy teaching her class last year on neon cold process goat milk soap.

Bramble Berry’s New Loot!

Filed Under: Bramble Berry News

Bramble Berry recently received a whole mess of new loot! SCORE! Check out our super cute molds, tools, stamps and reed diffuser kits. We love our new molds so much that we’ve already done a tutorial with the Mini Hearts and Love molds. Check it out on the Soap Queen Blog: Love Mold and Hearts in Cold Process.

Molds

Tiny Hearts & Birds Molds, Tiny Hearts Mold , Tiny Birds Mold 
Love Mold , 12 Bar Round Silicone Mold , Op Art Tray Mold 
Framed Bamboo Mold , Carved Hibiscus Flexible Soap Mold, Celtic Clover Mold  [Read more…]

Crazy Recap Week 3: End in Sight

Filed Under: Personal Ramblings

Breakthrough! This week the cleanse finally started to feel comfortable to me. It wasn’t the initial change that was difficult but the following through and sticking with it for a full 3 weeks. The more comfortable you get with something, generally, the easier it is to slip up (eeps) which happened to me last weekend. Instead of letting the situation spiral downwards, I motivated myself to refocus. A healthy lifestyle is a process and one mistake doesn’t mean all hope is lost.

Inspirations

I got an amazing phone call from an old friend this week who told me how much I have inspired her through my journey on the 21 day cleanse.  That made my heart do the happy dance! It was motivating to know that I have possibly helped someone else see how small healthy changes can affect your life positively. One of ladies here at Bramble Berry even started a kale chip craze in her circle of friends. Have you inspired someone close to you to make healthy choices? If so, let me know about it and let’s revel together! I have also found inspiration through compliments! I’ve received several random compliments about my skin and over all radiant glow (that must be the sexy part, right?). Who doesn’t like a compliment? It really gives you a little skip in your step to know people can tell a difference when you’ve been working so hard to make healthy choices in your life.

Challenges

The challenges this week were more about looking into the future after the cleanse is over. In the office we have realized that we don’t necessarily miss meats and dairy. It is SUGAR that we really miss! Chocolate, ice cream and carmel- you name it! This shows you how addicting sugar really is. But let’s face reality, sugar is just not good for you. Sad but true. This is going to be my struggle after the cleanse. Just remember that it’s all about training your body to crave the healthy and deny the bad stuff, which is a challenge in itself.

Recipes this Week to Try 

[Read more…]

Bramble Berry Athletic Club: Apply Now!

Filed Under: Bramble Berry News

Bramble Berry donates 5% of our profits every year to worthy non profits (and has since 1998). This year, we would love to bring you into the mix with a portion of our charitable giving. Rather than have you vote on what charities to give to, we’re hoping to involve you in a personally meaningful way. If you’ve been reading the blog for a while, you know that I am an avid exerciser and healthy living fanatic. Because fitness is something that I enjoy and believe is the foundation to running a successful business, I thought it would be fun to connect with Bramble Berry customers that share the same passion for giving back coupled with a desire to get moving. Let me introduce to you, for the first time in Bramble Berry history, the Bramble Berry Athletic Club! BBAC is a new group of sponsored athletes that will participate in various athletic events for charity.

I’m so excited about this! I can’t wait to support your athletic events and charities that are important to you. See details below to apply.

BBAC Perks

  • Up to $550 to spend on entry fee and charity donation.
  • BBAC schwag including team shirt to wear in your event.
  • Soap Queen Blog feature including your story, charity, pictures and link love!
  • BBAC surprise goody bag.

How to Apply

Email bbac(at)brambleberry(dot)com and tell us your story: Submit email by February 24th and we’ll announce the team on February 29th!

  • Tell us about the race or event you plan on competing in this year.
  • What charity does the event support?
  • Why is this charity important to you?
  • Please include a picture of yourself.
  • Send us your charity page or a link to the race if you already have one set up.

Fine print

  • The donation money will cover your entry fee for the event and the rest will go to the event’s supporting charity. We will cut the check directly to the charity.
  • We would love a picture of you in your BBAC team shirt at the race (nothing would make us prouder) and we want to hear all about the event so we can blog about it!
  • We will be choosing between 6-10 applicants.

Jake Locker and I at a Run for Hope benefit. See blog post here.

Vegan Juice Pulp Crackers

Filed Under: Soap Queen Cuisine

I love juicing vegetables. I am fully addicted to it and love how I feel when I start my morning with a big glass of veggie juice. Whenever I juice though, I’m left with all the fibrous pulp from the vegetables and I hate throwing it out. My friend Jody Bergsma taught me how to make “Raw Crackers.” There are a lot of different types of recipes on the internet to make raw crackers. The reason I like this one is because it gives me something to do with the veggie pulp. [Read more…]

Craxy Week 2: Recap

Filed Under: Soap Queen Cuisine

Crazy Sexy Diet, 21 Day Cleanse: Week 2

Jamisen and I are juicing. He loves it!

Craxy Week in Review

Can you believe that we are almost three quarters of the way through our journey? Eight more days to go and I hope you all are feeling as revved as I am.  This week has been GREAT! I can’t believe we have over 50 participants involved in the cleanse now. It has been amazing to hear inspirational and encouraging words from all of you. Here in the BB office, we are all feeling happier, more energetic and even slimmer. Weight loss is one of the lovely side effects to our nutrition reboot. It’s almost impossible NOT to lose weight when you cut out sugar, alcohol, dairy and gluten (wheat). Though we are on our “cleanse high” we do have to keep our long term goals in mind. I would really love to hear some of your plans, tips and goals for after the 21 days. [Read more…]

LOVE Soap Mold Debut Tutorial

Filed Under: Melt & Pour Soap

Loveable soap is easy to make. In truth, all soap is loveable but this tutorial will teach you how to make the LOVE soap pictured below. If you have never made melt and pour soap before, this project is for you! Check out the fool proof layering tips below and follow the step by step instructions for beautiful results.

Ingredients
4 oz Clear soap
12 oz White soap
15 drops Liquid Violet
6 Mini Scoops Red Blue Mica
1 teaspoon Tangerine Wow Neon
1 teaspoon Electric Bubble Gum Neon
2 Tablespoons Liquid Glycerin
(Note: this mold has been discontinued.
It has been replaced with the 6 Cavity Valentine Hearts Silicone Mold.)
Tools
Heat safe containers

Buy everything you need in the click of a button! [Read more…]

All You Need Is Love

Filed Under: Personal Ramblings

Swoon!

Check out Bramble Berry’s new Love Mold, ready to make it’s debut to the world tomorrow, Friday 1/27/2012! I know what you’re thinking, “Where’s the tutorial, Anne-Marie? It’s tutorial THURSDAY!” Hang tight, Soap Queen Pals, we’re going to show you how to make the fabulous soap above. You’ll just have to wait until tomorrow. One. More. Day. =) How about a little baby love to keep you entertained?

I remember bubbles in childhood as fun and magical. Naturally, I wanted to introduce Jamisen to this fun and magical concept.

P1050881

Whoops. Is that a look of terror on his face? P1050868 Hm. Still terrified. Wait, if I can remember bubbles, how old was I when I played with those bubbles? P1050870But, proving he is my son, he did eventually warm up to the bubbles and even tried to use his slow baby reflexes to catch a few.

P1050876

That’s my boy! Check back tomorrow for the LOVE tutorial. I swear, it’s coming!

How to Sell Consignment

Filed Under: Business Musings

Recently on our Facebook Page, someone asked about selling their products consignment. If one person is having that question, you can bet others are. Selling consignment is often a first step to getting into a retail store. Consignment means that a store owner will take your product and instead of buying it, they will pay you for the product when they sell it. You own the product, in their shop, and are responsible for stocking the store shelves. You and the shop owner work out a deal for a percentage of the sales – generally a 70/30 or a 60/40 split with the store getting 30% or 40%. The reason that the store gets less than 50% is because you, the small business owner, are taking all the risk. First you will need a contract with the shop owner.

For those of you that are saying in your head, “Oh, I don’t need a contract. The store owner knows me/is a friend of mine/went to school with my brother/is in my yoga class/etc… and she/he wouldn’t possibly hurt me!”: Best intentions are lovely and I always go into any business relationship planning for win-win AND, I always have a contract. You, too, need a contract. This document will govern everything with the business relationship you have with the store owner. The contract should cover the following:

(1) The percentage split – Are you getting 70% of the sales price? Less?

(2) Rent or extra fees – Is there administration cost every month? Is there any rent that the owner would like you to pay for your part of the store?

(3) Theft and damage – Mistakes happen and unscrupulous people happen. Who pays for that inventory? You or the shopowner? Or, is it a split?

(4) Payment – How often are you paid?

(5) Removal – If things aren’t selling, when and how can you pick up your products?

(6) Inventory – Are you keeping track of inventory or is the store? What if there is a discrepancy?

(7) End Date – How long does this contract last? Under what circumstances can you get out of the contract?

Other things that you will want to take into account are general business questions – is this store in a good location? Will the store owner give you good placement in the store? Can you work with them on in-store promotions? Will you be proud to have your merchandise in the store?

It’s important for you to do the research into the store before you approach the shop owner. Is the store in good traffic location? Will the store owner do a good job promoting her store (and your products)? Your soap will be tied up in the store, while you still own it. It is a big risk and that’s why you are normally paid more than 50%. If you get a chance, talk to other people that are consigning in the store about how their products are being treated in the store and how their products sell through. Past experience predicts future experience.

Summer 2012 S.O.A.P. Team [CHEER]

Filed Under: Bramble Berry News

Announcing the new S.O.A.P. Team for Summer 2012!

[APPLAUSE]

Andi from We Love Soap: Twitter, Blog

Alanna from Peach Blossoms Cosmetics: Facebook

Dawn from EcoSations: Etsy, Facebook

Rose from Brooklyn Bath: Blog, Etsy

Jean from Soap Art: Website, Blog

Nicole from My Quest for Health: Blog, Facebook

April from April’s Soap: Blog, Facebook

Lucky Lucky Neko: Artfire, Blog

Attention S.O.A.P. team: Please email SOAP(at)brambleberry(dot)com with your contact and shipping information! We’ll be packaging up your fragrances and getting them out the door by the end of the week. Oh the suspense of not knowing what fragrances you’ll receive!  Could one be Bacon? Or Wet Dog? You’ll soon find out!

[LAUGH] [Read more…]